Fatal pedestrian accidents on the rise in NYC

Fatal pedestrian accidents are on the rise in New York City and that is a just a microcosm of what is happening across the nation. In New York, when you compare the number of people killed by an unknown assailant to those killed in pedestrian accidents, the number is staggering. In 2013, 174 pedestrians were killed in New York while 29 people were killed by strangers.

In a New York Post article, a New York Police commander blames pedestrians for many of the accidents . His comments are very straight up and pedestrians every where need to take heed. Captain Michael Falcon said:

You see people, they’re not paying attention. They’re looking at their phones. … It’s mind-boggling the things that people do.”

Pedestrians everywhere are just not paying attention. People jaywalk, they dart into the street, they don’t cross at crosswalks, they ignore traffic signals and they don’t look and listen before they begin crossing a street.

It is important that pedestrians stay aware of their surroundings and follow laws against jay walking.

Distracted Walking

Many people think they can text and walk at the same times. In fact, more than 50% of all cell phone owners engage in distracted walking according to Pew Research. Every once in a while we will read an amusing story such as the one about an Australian woman who was so distracted while updating her Facebook page that she walked off of a pier. But the sad realities are that people are injured and also killed due to accidents when they are distracted.

Walking while talking or texting using a smartphone is definitely a pedestrian accident risk. A study published in the August 2013 issue of Accident Analysis & Prevention reported that people treated in emergency rooms for injuries related to walking and using a cell phone have been increasing and common injuries include fractures, concussions, sprains and of course

Summary of Washington State Pedestrian Laws

Pestrians must obey traffic signals. (RCW 46.61.050).

Pedestrians must use sidewalks if they are available and if they are not, pedestrians must walk facing traffic. (RCW 46.61.261).

Pedestrians must not bolt into traffic. (RCW 46.61.235).

Pedestrians that cross street at other than marked crosswalks must yield the right of way to oncoming traffic. (RCW 46.61.240).

This information is provided by Seattle Car Accident Lawyer blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have been seriously injured in pedestrian accidents caused by the negligence of another. If you or a loved one has been seriously injured or a loved one has been killed after being struck by a passenger car, metro bus or a delivery truck, we advise you to contact a Washington pedestrian injury accident lawyer to be advised of your rights.